Balboa - Repair Facilities

Boatyards

Flamenco Marina has a boat yard adjacent to the fuel dock with a large 150 ton travel lift. Haul outs are done at high tide only, and the boat skipper has to arrange for all supplies and workers, though Marina management will assist in ordering and making arrangements for delivery. Hauling here is one of the more expensive options, however there are bars and restaurants on site and a cruising community here.

Another place with good connections is the Balboa YC which still has two marine railways for a quick haulout and bottom job. Demand is high here though so a reservation is necessary and time out of the water is limited. Good deal for haulout if you don't spend too long out of the water.

The Astillero Nacional in Vacamonte is a bit more out of the way, but has a Syncrolift with good repair services. You can live on your boat on the hard here. Vacamonte is a customs port, so be sure your paperwork is in order (with a zarpe from your last port) before entering here.

Note:Most brands of life rafts CANNOT be serviced in Panama. Cruisers who plan to cross the canal better sort out their life raft before getting here, as the alternative to send the raft back to where it was purchased is both very costly and time consuming.

Cruisers also report that nobody services watermakers competently.

Download this useful Cruiser's Guide to services available in Panama City and Balboa.

A privately own Shipyard located in the fishing port of Vacamonte, only 10 miles off the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. Service yachts, fishing and commercial vessels. 240 ton shiplift (syncrolift). Offer Customs & Immigration services. Hauling, prop and shaft repair, welding. No long-term dry storage - only daily charge .Liveaboards welcome. Some distance from town.

Contact Mike Barker. Recommend that visiting cruisers contact them in the first instance to discover what services are available and where to go to source their needs. Happy to help out with friendly advice.Based in Panama but will travel to Colon. Provide rigging, electrical, hydraulic and refrigeration services to a New Zealand standard. Latin agents for Rocna Anchor, Windrider and local agents for Harken products, many other lines also. Recommended by cruisers.

In Panama for over 30 years. Will travel to any marina within the radius of Panama City or Colon.
Local dealer for Selden Masts. Rolly Tasker Sails, Laser Performance sailing dinghies, and Sailing Services rigging supplies. Offers good discounts on all products. Can do a total replacement of mast, rig and sails if required. Can locate specialty woods, including teak.
Services: Supply and installation of rigging, masts and sails, yacht and rigging surveys, wide range of repairs - fibreglass and wooden boats a specialty. Free referals to best local services for mechanical and electronic repairs. Free advice for those that need help.

Pitty Carpenters Panama

Tel:Ivan: 6131 0326 / Cristian: 6667 8016

Operate in Balboa, Vacamonte, Colon and wherever else they are needed. Panamanian family business . Father and Manager Ivan speaks Spanish only. Cristian his son speaks Spanish and some English. Specialize in boat interiors. Competitive pricing.

Rigs & Sails

Jim Laing

Panama City

Tel:(507) 268 1147 - (6655 4026)

Re-rigging and tuning. Master Shipwright and specialist in wooden boats.

Contact Mike Barker. Recommend that visiting cruisers contact them in the first instance to discover what services are available and where to go to source their needs. Happy to help out with friendly advice.Based in Panama but will travel to Colon. Provide rigging, electrical, hydraulic and refrigeration services to a New Zealand standard. Latin agents for Rocna Anchor, Windrider and local agents for Harken products, many other lines also. Recommended by cruisers.

Panama Yachting Services S.A.

Based in Panama City
, Work shed: Astillero Nacional, Vacamonte, Arraijan

In Panama for over 30 years. Will travel to any marina within the radius of Panama City or Colon.
Local dealer for Selden Masts. Rolly Tasker Sails, Laser Performance sailing dinghies, and Sailing Services rigging supplies. Offers good discounts on all products. Can do a total replacement of mast, rig and sails if required. Can locate specialty woods, including teak.
Services: Supply and installation of rigging, masts and sails, yacht and rigging surveys, wide range of repairs - fibreglass and wooden boats a specialty. Free referals to best local services for mechanical and electronic repairs. Free advice for those that need help.

In Panama for over 30 years. Will travel to any marina within the radius of Panama City or Colon.
Local dealer for Selden Masts. Rolly Tasker Sails, Laser Performance sailing dinghies, and Sailing Services rigging supplies. Offers good discounts on all products. Can do a total replacement of mast, rig and sails if required. Can locate specialty woods, including teak.
Services: Supply and installation of rigging, masts and sails, yacht and rigging surveys, wide range of repairs - fibreglass and wooden boats a specialty. Free referals to best local services for mechanical and electronic repairs. Free advice for those that need help.

Refrigeration

Contact Mike Barker. Recommend that visiting cruisers contact them in the first instance to discover what services are available and where to go to source their needs. Happy to help out with friendly advice.Based in Panama but will travel to Colon. Provide rigging, electrical, hydraulic and refrigeration services to a New Zealand standard. Latin agents for Rocna Anchor, Windrider and local agents for Harken products, many other lines also. Recommended by cruisers.

Contact Arturo who will order anything you need from West Marine or other suppliers with fast delivery and reasonably freight charges.
Also offers a shipping service from Panama with
discount Fedex. Authorised distributor for Caribe
Inflatables.

Can order parts through a subsidiary of West Marine and have them brought in tax free with very low cost shipping. Parts can be delivered directly to Portobelo, Turtle Cay Marina Puerto Lindo or even San Blas. Jeff works with Viking and can offer an exchange program for those looking for a commercial offshore life raft. You can turn in any brand, any size, any age life raft to receive a significant discount on a new life raft. Call Jeff on 507-6079-1034 or Captain Jack on 507-448-2009.

Sue Richards
says:

Nov 19, 2017 09:21 PM

Reported by Royce Reid:

Laundry has always been a pain on the Pacific side of the Canal, but we found this guy: Moises Jiang. 507-228-6592, cell 507-6481 2611, email jiang2286592free@gmail.com. He came and picked up and dropped off our laundry, clean and folded for $7. usd a load all in. IE no detergent bleach or hidden costs.

He called ahead of time to let us know he was coming back, speaks english and was on time.....and for the service i felt it was super cheap.

Its the small things that make cruising painful or bearable right?

Sue Richards
says:

Aug 06, 2017 04:46 PM

The below comment is about La Playita Marina.

Noah D.
says:

Jul 01, 2017 01:45 AM

Posted in behalf of Hugh Pilsworth of BlueFlyer:

After an uneventful trip through the Canal we arrived to the well hidden Marina.
First impressions on arrival through the narrow and unlit, unmarked entrance, were good. This is a new Marina with power and water on the docks, which are wide and stable, with big dock cleats.
Security is via keycard to both enter and exit. The office is just at the top of the walkway and is heavily air conditioned.
That is the end of the good impressions. The fees are outrageous, twice those of Shelter Bay and that was more than Red Frog Beach. First night is US$150.00 plus water and electricity. Thereafter it's $2.00 per foot per night, minimum rate charged is 40 feet! For a 2 week stay our cost, 49 ft, is $1470.00 plus 7% tax. That is $1573.00 plus water and electricity.
The toilets are bad and the shower had no hot water.
There is a large chandlers and an ice cream shop next to the office. Restaurants, etc are a good walk away and Panama City is a taxi ride away. Albrook Mall is a 2 hour walk, so bus or taxi.

This would not be my favourite Marina by any measure, but the other marinas are either more expensive or for motor boats. There are mooring buoys at the Balboa Yacht Club, but I'm told that they cost $46.00 per night, presumably plus tax as well.

linuswilson
says:

Jun 11, 2016 01:55 PM

Astillero Nacional S.A.
Vacamonte, Panama
They do NOT do long-term dry storage. There is an $80 per day charge to be blocked up.

Rosalind Laing
says:

Mar 10, 2015 07:40 PM

Most marine rigging can now be done in Panama. DIMAR has opened Total Marine Supply and details of products and the location of Flexocable can be found on www.flexocable.com

Total Marine Supply in DIMAR also have a wide range of marine products, parts and services. They are official agents for a range of products, including Rule/Jabsco pumps and an inflatable.

BYC does NOT sell gasoline and, due to permitting issues has been unable to sell diesel for the past 4 to 5 months. No one can say with certainty when they will be able to sell diesel again.

The new General Manager is Capt. Rex Jansen. The email address for checking on mooring availability is: bycmarina@cwpanama.net

Debi Shaimas
s/v Serenity

Sue Richards
says:

Jul 03, 2014 11:44 AM

I am sorry to report that Juan of Gente De Mar cannot be used to handle laundry.. On two occasions items have been missing and on the second occasion my husband's columbia brand clothes and several other items were missing. Juan said it was not his problem and offered no help. I replaced several items at significant cost and did not want the money, I just wanted him to inquire with his laundress.. His response was shocking and rude.
He fills gasoline cans and propane cans for cruisers in the Panama City area but you can do this yourself much cheaper with a taxi if at least two boats get together. If you chose to use his services, expect to pay premium prices with no guarantee that he is using reputable service providers.
Nell Kellett
SV Moon Dancer

Sue Richards
says:

Apr 15, 2014 03:16 PM

Posted on behalf of D. Laurin, S/Y Vimy:
I want to inform the yachting community about a top notch Electrical Engineer who is working both in Shelter Bay Marina (Colon - Panama) and out of Panama City/Balboa.
He is the first seriously professional electrical trained person that I have encountered in many years of cruising. This is the first time that I have bothered to make a comment about a Trade here or anywhere.
Name: Tom Valentine
Company: Marine Electric
E-mail: th.valentin@gmail.com
Tel: 507 -6666 2598